Brett Yakas has a history of over 20 years in the construction industry, with roles varying from construction management to estimation, design and sales.

Brett works closely with the rest of the team at Jennian Homes Northland as an in-house estimator, helping to set realistic budgets for your project, and allowing us to accurately estimate the build of your new home from an early stage.

All this adds up to a stress-free build that fits your budget and expectations

JODY YAKAS
General Manager

Jody has an extensive history in the construction industry throughout New Zealand, having fulfilled many roles from construction management to the financial sector.

As General Manager, Jody plays a big part in all areas of the building process at Jennian Homes Northland.

Her hands-on approach means she maintains close contact with you throughout the sales process, and constant communication while your home is being built.

Building the home you want is of the utmost importance to Jody, and the handover at the end of each project is something she enjoys greatly.

Jody’s ultimate satisfaction is in building dream homes for happy clients.

DAN MANNConstruction Manager

As Construction Manager, Dan is responsible for managing a large team of builders to ensure your new home meets your expectations.

Dan has worked on and managed builds all over Northland. With over 20 years building experience, he has the expertise to walk you smoothly through your project, and ensure the end result is exactly what you want. He understands the importance of a smooth building journey for you, and makes communication a priority, to ensure you enjoy your building project.

Dan works closely with Jody and the sales team so he is involved in your project from the beginning. Being aware of what you want from your new home means he’s able to bring the design to life for you.

RENA BELCHERNew Home Consultant

With 15 years’ experience in the construction industry, ranging from building and design to management, Rena has the skills to walk you seamlessly through the process of designing and specifying your new home.

As your New Home Consultant, Rena will help you design your new home so it makes the most of your section, and help you avoid any pitfalls along the way.

She’ll liaise with engineers and keep you informed throughout the entire journey. She’s also with you through the kitchen and colour selection process – made easy by the use of our unique Studio J selection centre.

MONIQUE PINDREDContracts Administrator

Monique has over 10 years experience in the building industry, and her family live and breathe it too. So it’s no wonder she enjoys working at Jennian Homes Northland, where the team all share a passion for building.

As Contracts Administrator, Monique runs administrative duties and ensures everyone is up to speed on jobs. She also makes sure any changes you request are communicated seamlessly to the contractors on-site. After handover, she’ll tie up any loose ends, ensuring you get the home you want.

Monique is passionate about Northland and the amazing lifestyle she and her family enjoy here, and she’s equally passionate about ensuring you get the home of your dreams in Northland too.

Recently, we gave New Zealand Golf members the chance to tee off with legend Sir Bob Charles. Congratulations to our six lucky winners who shared the golfing experience of a lifetime with Sir Bob Charles at the world-class Christchurch Golf Club.

Most of you should have known that he’s a lefty and won the Open Championship – for those of you who didn’t, now you do. Build with Jennian Homes and as a New Zealand Golf member you get brand new set of Cobra Golf Clubs, your membership paid for a year and a donation towards junior golf.

Athletics New Zealand have announced Jennian Homes as the naming rights sponsor of the New Zealand Track and Field Championships for 2017 and 2018, to be held at Porritt Stadium in Hamilton.

The Jennian Homes NZ Track and Field Champs, one of the countrys oldest sporting events dating back to 1889, will be held on 17-19 March, 2017, at Porritt Stadium in Hamilton and will feature many of New Zealands top athletes, from Rio Olympians like Eliza McCartney, Tom Walsh and Hamish Carson to name a few, right through to the best U18 and U20 provincial talent, all vying to win a national title, and for some, qualification for higher honours.

Jennian Homes joins Aon New Zealand and Harcourts Cooper & Co, who have both recently joined the growing stable of commercial partners keen to align with the sport as it enters into a new era of success.

In announcing the new partnership, Athletics New Zealand Chief Executive, Linda Hamersley, said “Its fantastic to have Jennian Homes on board to support this national championship event. Were grateful to have a growing family of sponsors who contribute so much to enabling us to grow the grassroots of the sport as well as helping us run major events like the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track and Field Champs, which will double as the main qualifying event for the IAAF World Championships in London later this year”.

“We have seen, after the successes of Rio, young people watch their sporting heroes and are inspired by them. Having Jennians sponsorship means we can organise this key event, meet our financial targets and our members expectations and invest some money back into the local area to help grow the next generation,” says Hamersley.

Jennian Homes have shown an increasing support of sport and the community with partnerships with the New Zealand Olympic Committee, NZ Golf as well as providing long standing assistance to the Heart Foundation, their main charity.

Jennian Homes Chief Operating Officer Aidan Jury said, “Throughout history we can all remember moments of sporting greatness around the Athletics track and the current level of talent with NZs finest athletes is no exception.

The Jennian Homes team is proud to be supporting young Kiwis in their effort to excel in sport while continuing the long Jennian track record of community support.

As a proud supporter of the NZ Olympic and Commonwealth teams, Jennian understands the importance and pressure of qualification for major international events, and wish all athletes well in the NZ Track & Field Championships.”

The Jennian Homes NZ Track & Field Champs are sure to attract a lot of attention from athletics and sports fans alike with so many of New Zealands elite athletes competing.

A silver medallist sharp shooter, a former women’s hockey captain and a runner whose sportsmanship and “Olympic spirit” captured international attention, will headline this year’s Jennian Homes Mother’s Day Fun Run/Walk.

Tickets go on sale today for the highly anticipated event taking place in over 20 locations nationwide, with women from Paihia to Invercargill preparing to walk and run their way through Mother’s Day on May 14 – all in the name of heart health. Into its sixth year, the New Zealand-wide event is part of an initiative run by Jennian Homes to support the Heart Foundation’s ‘Heart Foundation For Women’ campaign, which aims to improve the heart health of New Zealand women.

While 2016 was the annual fun run/walk’s largest to date, with more than 7000 mums, daughters or sisters participating, this year is predicted to be even bigger with a trio of Olympic athletes fronting the event, including Natalie Rooney (shooting), Kayla Whitelock (hockey), and Nikki Hamblin (middle distance runner). Heart disease is the number-one cause of death for women in New Zealand, claiming the lives of more than 50 women each week. Therefore, as a proud supporter, Jennian Homes is committed to working with the Heart Foundation to reduce this alarming statistic, and will be giving $20,000 to the charity to support women’s heart health as a result of the Mother’s Day events. Heart Foundation medical director Gerry Devlin says it’s a sad fact that heart disease is the number-one killer of women in New Zealand and more needs to be done to address this worrying statistic.

Dr Devlin says the Heart Foundation encourage women around New Zealand to start the conversation about heart disease and also take the steps necessary to look after their hearts, including through this year’s fun run/walk.

“It’s great to see Jennian Homes’ getting behind our annual ‘Heart Foundation for Women’ campaign once again. “Jennian Homes has been a longstanding supporter of the Heart Foundation and we greatly appreciate their efforts to help raise much-needed funds for womens heart health research. Since the Heart Foundation began, it has invested more than $57m into research and specialist training for cardiologists,” says Dr Devlin.

The inclusion of Olympians Natalie, Kayla and Nikki is all thanks to Jennian Homes, who partnered with the New Zealand Olympic Committee ahead of last year’s games in Rio de Janiero to help Kiwi athletes achieve their goals on the world stage. Natalie claimed the nation’s first medal for 2016 with a silver in the women’s trap event, Kayla is the former captain of the Black Sticks women’s hockey team, and Nikki, along with American Abbey D’Agostino, were presented with the Rio 2016 Fair Play Award by the International Fair Play Committee for their sportsmanship and “Olympic spirit” after the pair fell during the 5000m and Nikki stopped to help Abbey finish the race. Jennian Homes COO Aidan Jury says it is at a time like Mother’s Day that we are reminded of just how important families are. He encourages all mothers and families to make a great start to their Mother’s Day by participating.

“It is fantastic to have these three Olympians showing their support to an event that continues to grow in popularity each year. We are all mindful of the toll that results from heart health issues and Jennian is proud to champion the need for better heart awareness in New Zealand.

“Just 5 kms through some of New Zealand’s most scenic areas gets your day started in a great fun way with family and you’ll be doing your bit to help save lives and keep more families together.”

Jennian Homes has also teamed up with iconic New Zealand artist Dick Frizzell to help design the Jennian Homes Mother’s Day Fun Run/Walk official T-shirts, which all participants will receive. Participants who enter this year’s event will also go in the draw to win part of a $25,000 prize pool through a variety of ways including Early Bird ticket sales, before the end of March, and entering in a group of 10 or more.

Less fortunate Whangarei residents have been granted a brighter Christmas in the form of their own fresh Christmas trees and shiny decorations, thanks to the Northland franchise of Jennian Homes.

The franchise, based in Central Whangarei, delivered ten Christmas trees to ten needy family groups, after they were identified by the Whangarei branch of the Salvation Army.

Jody Yakas, General Manager of Jennian Homes Northland, says she and her team felt honoured to be able to spread some Christmas cheer to those who need it most. “Jennian Homes is dedicated to building communities, and as a team we really liked the idea of helping deserving families to feel a little bit brighter, at a time that can be an incredible struggle for many.

“Some of the team even got a bit emotional seeing the children waiting at the doors to collect their trees.”

Jenny of the Salvation Army Whangarei says: “Although Christmas is known as a joyful time, it can be a very tough period for many families. It is the generous donations of people and businesses, like Jennian Homes, that help alleviate some of the pain and stress at this time of year. We are very grateful to the Jennian Homes Northland team, as I’m sure are the families who received the lovely Christmas trees.”

Yakas says the experience was so worthwhile they will be looking at donating further Christmas trees next year.

2017 is shaping up to be a busy year for the building industry throughout New Zealand. With the Auckland housing shortage, the ongoing Reserve Bank exemption of new dwellings from the LVR restrictions, the building industry appears set for another great year.

With an unprecedented level of building anticipated over the next few years, if you’ve been considering building a new home as part of your New Year’s resolution, now is a good time to put those plans into action.

The team at Jennian Homes can guide you through this process. We even host regular building information sessions to arm you with lots of great information to help you on your journey to building your own home.

Jennian Homes has been building homes Kiwi’s love for over 34 years and remains NZ’s most awarded group home builder, with truly national coverage. Build new and take advantage of the capital gains in property value (in most regions) even between contract signing and the completion of your beautiful new Jennian Home.

Whether this is a proven plan or your own design let our team show can you the benefits of building new versus old. Take advantage of smart technologies like home automation for lighting, security and entertainment; as well as future-proofing for solutions like solar and electric vehicles.

The LVR Rules, and the exemption of new homes from the lending criteria, makes it a better option for New Zealanders to realise the dream of building their own home instead of purchasing an existing house and exposing themselves to the LVR criteria.

However, 2017 doesn’t just promise to be a good year for potential home builders.

The construction industry is an exciting option for school leavers or those considering a career change. Good quality workers will be required to help meet demand and completing an apprenticeship is an ideal foot in the door to the industry. An increase in new apprenticeships is likely as related trades begin to expand to meet growing workloads.

Aside from builders, increased demand for housing also means there will be an upturn in work for the suppliers and tradespeople who make the industry tick.

As an industry as a whole, we have a great opportunity this year nationwide to watch building and construction grow from strength to strength. Now we have to take advantage of it.

At studio J we have all the product options on display providing an environment where making choices is easy and enjoyable. You’ll find everything you need for your new home under one roof. With hundreds of products on display you will be able to touch and feel everything from bricks and bathroom fittings to floor coverings and bench-tops. Our buying power as one of New Zealand’s biggest builders means we can pass on unbeatable value to you. Our interior designer is available for a personal bookings to assist you with customising your dream home.

Is the Investment Property market set to expand further with the updated New Zealand Reserve Bank LVR rules introducing further restrictions on ‘existing homes’, but potentially encouraging investors to ‘build new homes’?

The perfect storm could be brewing!

The new Auckland Unitary Plan encourages more construction in Auckland’s expanded borders to manage the desperate shortage of quality new homes.

Net migration has now passed 68,000 migrants annually and shows no immediate signs of slowing. These immigrants will need housing.

A threefold increase in Britons wanting to move to NZ after the Brexit vote, and the slowing Australian Minerals Boom all point to the strong need to continue to build new houses.

The Reserve Bank continues to exempt new construction from its nationwide LVR restrictions which creates opportunities for home owners and investors alike.

While there has been some scaremongering that the LVR restrictions may not be good for the economy, at Jennian Homes, we disagree. If you own a home and you want to build an investment property, you may now need *30% less total equity or deposit to build a new house than may be required to buy an existing house.

Working with Jennian’s Financial Partners, Jennian Homes is now able to provide innovative solutions to get you into an investment property with less equity or deposit than buying an existing home (which you occupy as your primary dwelling). The dream of an investment home is now achievable for many kiwis.

Many investors want both a capital gain and income, making building a great choice for the long term. With the correct loan structuring, a Jennian partnered finance option may not require loan repayments until your new investment property is completed, meaning your cashflow may not be interrupted until you have a tenant*.

Jennian Homes has been building homes Kiwi’s love for nearly 34 years and remains NZ’s oldest and most awarded group home builder, with truly national coverage.

Ask your nearest Jennian representative how to start your Investment Property tomorrow, with less equity or deposit than you might think. Our team will guide you through this process.

You may be surprised just how simple it can be to navigate what looks like a complicated mine field of barriers and LVR rules.

It is now time to act and talk to Jennian.

*Lending criteria applies. The equity example above is based on an owner occupier building an investment property. Every customer’s situation may differ.

*The Jennian finance solution is bank funded, with specialist skills in new builds.

*Jennian recommends all investors obtain proper independent advice. Jennian is not itself in the business of providing finance for a new home nor providing advice on property investment.

You’ve decided that you’d love to build a new home and enjoy all the benefits that come with being the first owner of a freshly built house. Brand new fixtures and fittings, new product warranties and guarantees, low maintenance, you get the home you want and the best part of all – no one else has ever lived there!

The big question is how much will it cost? Or more importantly, how much do you have to spend?

Establishing your true budget before you embark on this exciting adventure is the most important thing you will do to avoid disappointment. As they say, dreams are free, but in reality you need to carefully analyse what you have to spend so that there are no unwelcome surprises along the way.

To begin with, establish what your total project budget is. What is the total amount you have to spend to get you crossing the threshold of a fully finished house on established grounds? Now that you have this number written down you can calculate what you have to spend on all the elements that make up your dream property.

There are several costs that can impact the bottom line of your budget and a significant number of these happen prior to commencing the construction of your home. It doesn’t matter what the home you’re thinking of building looks like, how big it is or who is going to build it for you there are a number of costs to consider that will then help you to establish what is left in the kitty to construct your home and do the landscaping.

This is where a relationship with an established builder becomes very important so that you can seek the best advice. For example when looking to purchase land you need to consider what extra costs there are going to be to establish a suitable building platform on top of what might seem like a reasonable purchase price for the section. Some of these potentially costly factors are site costs such as excavation and retaining, covenants, local council requirements, services and location.

Once you have a clear idea of what’s needed prior to construction, put a figure on establishing and landscaping your grounds after the house is finished. Now you have a true figure left for your construction budget and your builder can work with you to get you the home you want within that budget. Without a true construction budget you may find that you are presented with a house plan that you just can’t afford, or you might even find that you’ve sold yourself short and miss out on some of your wish list because there’s more money available than you first imagined.

Try not to get hung up on ‘square metre rates’ as these too are largely irrelevant in the greater scheme of things. House size, shape, specifications, kitchens, bathrooms and all manner of other factors will determine the cost of your home. What you really want to know is that at the end of this exciting adventure you can move your family into the home you’ve always wanted, on time and within yourtrue budget with no surprises.

Thank you to all of the Early Childhood Centres who entered in this years Northland Workbench Giveaway. Congratulations to BJ’s Child Care Moody Ave, Mairtown Kindergarden and Back 2 Basics Maungatapere who are all the proud new owners of a workbench.

It’s that time of year when temperatures drop and energy bills can skyrocket. For some residents, heating their home is simple; they turn up the temperature on their thermostat and write a bigger cheque to their power company whilst keeping warm in the winter can be challenging for others, especially if their heating method is expensive. However, with a greater focus these days on energy efficient products, colder weather no longer means spending an exorbitant amount of money on heating your home. Heat Pumps, which are now almost a staple inclusion in new homes, are a great way to keep energy costs down, if used efficiently. A well-insulated home is paramount in making home heating as efficient as possible. Ensure your home is fitted with good quality insulation such as Pink Batts which will allow you to use a smaller Heat Pump, saving you money on both sides of the spectrum. As with any product, it is recommended that it is sourced from a quality supplier that offers a substantial warranty on the item.

If your home uses a wood burner, you can rest easy, knowing they are efficient to use but your home still needs to be insulated well to heat efficiently and retain the warmth. Your wood burner will also need to be maintained regularly to ensure it performs well and increase longevity, it is not uncommon to find that they have been damaged due to poor maintenance or improper use. There is no question that a wood burner is one of the more efficient ways you can heat you home, as modern fuel products are highly energy efficient and produce very limited air pollution.

If you have appliances running on gas in your home, it may be wise to think about switching your heating source to gas as well, due to you already paying for the fixed supply charges. Choose a gas heater that has the “Energy Star” label for the best savings while keeping you warm this winter.

If you have taken advantage of building new, passive heating is perhaps the most cost efficient way to become energy efficient and plan for the winter months. Making use of the sun will give you a home that keeps you warm and comfortable in the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way. With the right balance of elements your home can soak up free heat from the sun to keep you warm day and night. Plenty of glass along the north side of your home, ideally with high level windows to assist airflow and make use of the sun is crucial when planning an energy-efficient home.Having the opportunity toplan for all year round energy efficiencies before building means that you can have a home that is warmer, drier, healthier and simply better to live in.

Term 1 of school is over. Months of day care have passed and you now have another stack of your child’s artwork to deal with. Do you put in in a box and shove it at the back of the wardrobe, only to be sorted with you child leaves home?

Here’s a few nifty ideas to turn art into…..well, art!

Sort out the best of the best – the ones with the great drawings that tell a story, or the ones that simply have great colour combo’s. Laminate them to preserve their masterpiece and blu-tack to the wall in a gallery style layout.

Again, choose three or four of the best and display in a glass-free frame. Find frames at a charity shop, remove glass and spray paint in funky colours to complement the artwork. Hang the frames, and Blu-tack the artwork on the wall, inside the frame.

Choose a few pieces with lots of colour (painting artwork works best). Chop up the artwork into shapes (either squares or circles). Arrange the squares in a frame to make up a new piece of artwork!

Hang up string or fishing line into three rows across a wall and secure in place. Use pegs or bulldog clips to clip the artwork on to create a unique display.

Choose your all-time favourite to be printed onto canvas.

And if you just can’t deal with all the artwork your child brings home….try these ideas:

Recycle and use it as wrapping paper and gift cards

Send them by snail mail to grandparents for a nice surprise

Number the back and then cut the art into shapes to create your own DIY artwork puzzle.

Take photos of the artwork and use an online program like Snapfish or the photo booths at Harvey Norman & Warehouse Stationery to create a photo book of all the artwork.

Take photos of the artwork on an ipad/tablet that the child can then view at their fingertips.

Do you have family photos and artwork hung differently all over the house? I have pulled together six of the best gallery wall layouts that will let your art and photos shine!

Once you’ve got your frame’s ready it’s time to move on to the hard part: hanging it. I know, it sounds easy — just hammer a nail into the wall, right? — WRONG! Once you start hammering away, there’s no turning back…and you don’t want to be stuck with a million nail holes because you didn’t plan it out!

Simply follow these examples and simple tips and you can’t go wrong!

Inside the lines. Tape out a rectangular or square area that you’d like your photos to fill, and arrange them loosely within the borders of the box. This is an easy way to decorate an oddly shaped or narrow space.

Above and below. Using a vertical line, arrange groups of photos above and below the line. Aim to cover about the same area above and below to avoid a top, or bottom heavy arrangement.

Spiral effect. Use a large frame as your central picture and spiral out the rest of the frames from there. This works best with four rectangular frames and four square frames.

Line them up. Arrange all of your photos along a vertical line, with the largest one in the centre. This works well in a space with high ceilings, narrow wall spaces, or on vertical structures like a beam or pillar.

Centred. This simple, classic layout which requires minimal effort. Just choose one or two frames to centre and align the left and right sides with one another. This works particularly well if you’re trying to highlight particular pieces of art.

The perfect square. This simple grid is a take on the modern gallery-style layout. It’s a simple arrangement that has a big impact. Just ensure your frames are matching in size and width for maximum wow!

Or mix it up with colourful frames and artwork – anything goes as long as you love it!

Layout all your frames on the floor, and play around until you get the configuration just right.

Next, trace your frames onto paper/newspaper and cut out the shape. Write on the front which picture it corresponds to. Then you can use Blu-tack to pin up the paper frames on the wall, and move them around until they’re perfect. Now you’re ready to start hanging your frames!